2015 AFC Asian Cup Group D

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Group D of the 2015 AFC Asian Cup was one of four groups of nations competing at the 2015 AFC Asian Cup. The group's first round of matches were played on 12 January, the second round on 16 January, and the final round on 20 January. All six group matches were played at venues in Australia. The group consisted of title holders Japan, Jordan, Iraq and Palestine. [1] Japan and Iraq advanced as group winners and runners-up respectively, while Jordan and Palestine were eliminated.

Contents

Teams

Draw positionTeamMethod of
qualification
Date of
qualification
Finals
appearance
Last
appearance
Previous best
performance
FIFA Rankings
March 2014 [nb 1] Start of event
D1Flag of Japan.svg  Japan 2011 AFC Asian Cup winners25 January 20118th 2011 Winners (1992, 2000, 2004, 2011)4854
D2Flag of Jordan.svg  Jordan Group A runners-up4 February 20143rd 2011 Quarter-finals (2004, 2011)6693
D3Flag of Iraq.svg  Iraq Group C runners-up5 March 20148th 2011 Winners (2007)103114
D4Flag of Palestine.svg  Palestine 2014 AFC Challenge Cup winners30 May 20141st167115
Notes
  1. The rankings of March 2014 were used for seeding for the final draw.

Standings

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification
1Flag of Japan.svg  Japan 330070+79Advance to knockout stage
2Flag of Iraq.svg  Iraq 320131+26
3Flag of Jordan.svg  Jordan 310254+13
4Flag of Palestine.svg  Palestine 3003111100
Source: Asian Cup Australia 2015
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers

In the quarter-finals:

Matches

Japan vs Palestine

Japan kicked off the defence of their AFC Asian Cup title as Javier Aguirre's side notched up an empathic 4–0 win over tournament debutants and rivals Palestine at Newcastle Stadium. Yasuhito Endō, Shinji Okazaki, Keisuke Honda and Maya Yoshida were all on the scorer as the four-time continental champions showed their class to pick up all three points on a blustery evening. [2] [3]

Palestine, appearing in the competition for the first time after winning the AFC Challenge Cup in May 2014, finished the game with 10 men after Ahmed Harbi was sent-off for a late challenge on Shinji Kagawa that earned him a second booking after being cautioned in first half injury time. Aguirre made his intentions clear from the start by fielding a full strength line-up against Palestine and it took just eight minutes for the defending champions to notch their opening goal. Endo, earning his 149th cap for his country and making a Japanese record 18th appearance at the AFC Asian Cup, took aim from 25 yards out and his low left foot strike gave Ramzi Saleh little chance as it settled into the goalkeeper's bottom right corner. By the 25th minute, Japan had doubled their lead with Okazaki showing razor sharp reflexes to head Kagawa's shot from the edge of the area past Saleh. And just a minute before the half-time break Honda made it 3-0 from the penalty spot after Kagawa was brought down by Mus'ab Al-Batat. Palestine saw little of the ball in the opening 45 minutes, although Ismail Al-Amour fashioned a rare opportunity five minutes before the break, only to drag his effort from the edge of the area across the face of goal. [4]

There was little let-up from Japan at the beginning of the second half with Endo trying his luck again from long distance – this time with his right foot – but Saleh was equal to the task, turning the ball around his right post. Seconds later, though, Yoshida headed home Japan's fourth, rising highest to nod in Kagawa's corner as the gulf in class between the teams became ever more apparent. Mahajna's sending off threatened to cause further problems for Palestine but, despite being down to 10 men, central defender Abdelatif Bahdari almost claimed a consolation goal eight minutes from time when his flying header went just wide. Gōtoku Sakai and Yoshinori Muto both tried their luck in the dying minutes to extend Japan's lead, but in the end the titleholders commenced their defence of the trophy in a convincing manner. [5]

Japan  Flag of Japan.svg4–0Flag of Palestine.svg  Palestine
Report
Newcastle Stadium, Newcastle
Attendance: 17,147
Referee: Abdulrahman Abdou (Qatar)
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Japan
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Palestine
GK1 Eiji Kawashima
RB21 Gōtoku Sakai
CB22 Maya Yoshida
CB6 Masato Morishige
LB5 Yuto Nagatomo
DM17 Makoto Hasebe (c)
RM4 Keisuke Honda
CM10 Shinji Kagawa
CM7 Yasuhito Endō Sub off.svg 58'
LM18 Takashi Inui Sub off.svg 46'
CF9 Shinji Okazaki Sub off.svg 80'
Substitutions:
MF8 Hiroshi Kiyotake Sub on.svg 46'
MF14 Yoshinori Muto Sub on.svg 58'
FW11 Yohei Toyoda Sub on.svg 80'
Manager:
Flag of Mexico.svg Javier Aguirre
JPN-PLE-2015-01-12.svg
GK21 Ramzi Saleh (c)
RB18 Mus'ab Al-Batat
CB4 Ahmed Harbi Yellow card.svg 45+1' Yellow-red card.svg 73'
CB15 Abdelatif Bahdari Yellow card.svg 69'
LB14 Abdullah Jaber
CM20 Khader Yousef Sub off.svg 70'
CM23 Murad Ismail Said
RW10 Ismail Al-Amour Yellow card.svg 60'Sub off.svg 82'
LW7 Ashraf Nu'man Yellow card.svg 43'
SS19 Abdelhamid Abuhabib
CF16 Mahmoud Eid Sub off.svg 75'
Substitutions:
MF8 Hesham Salhe Sub on.svg 70'
DF12 Tamer Salah Sub on.svg 75'
DF3 Hussam Abu Saleh Sub on.svg 82'
Manager:
Ahmed Al Hassan

Man of the Match:

Assistant referees:

  • Taleb Salem Al-Marri (Qatar)
  • Ramzan Saeed Al-Naemi (Qatar)

Fourth official:

Fifth official:

Jordan vs Iraq

Yaser Kasim scored a late winner as 2007 AFC Asian Cup champions Iraq produced a gritty 1–0 victory over 10-man Jordan at Brisbane Stadium to move level on points with Japan, and also became the first ever group stage loss of Jordanian team. Kasim struck with 13 minutes remaining in the crucial meeting between the Arab rivals ahead of their clash with Japan on 16 January. But while Iraq had more of the possession by a comfortable margin, both sides were starved for clear-cut chances in the opening half. Iraq thought they had created a chance in the 16th minute when Kasim picked out Younis Mahmoud, but Tareq Khattab came to the rescue by snuffing out the iconic striker with a sliding tackle. [7]

Jordan coach Ray Wilkins had said a day earlier that if his team failed to qualify for the quarter-finals it would not be because of a lack of effort, and his troops proved the former Manchester United and Chelsea midfielder right with an industrious performance right down to the final whistle. But equally, Jordan struggled over the last third of the pitch, missing that touch of creativity necessary to penetrate Iraq's defense as striker Odai Al-Saify was free in front of goal a minute before the hour mark only to float a back-header over the crossbar. During the following sequence, Mohammad Mustafa had another chance for Jordan from the heart of the penalty area, but mishit the ball, shooting harmlessly into the arms of goalkeeper Jalal Hasan. [8]

But just when a draw appeared to be on the horizon, Iraq put an end to the stalemate in the 77th minute through Kasim, who slashed his way into the penalty area from right angle before pulling the trigger and seeing his shot deflected off Khattab to wrong-foot goalkeeper Amer Shafi. The momentum continued to swing in Iraq's favor as in the 84th minute Jordan defender Anas Bani Yaseen was given his marching orders after collecting a second booking for a late shoulder charge on Saad Abdul-Amir. [9]

Jordan  Flag of Jordan.svg0–1Flag of Iraq.svg  Iraq
Report
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Jordan
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Iraq
GK1 Amer Shafi (c)
RB11 Oday Zahran
CB3 Tareq Khattab
CB19 Anas Bani Yaseen Yellow card.svg 54' Yellow-red card.svg 84'
LB21 Mohammad Al-Dmeiri
DM5 Mohammad Mustafa
RM13 Khalil Bani Attiah Sub off.svg 60'
LM18 Ahmed Elias Yellow card.svg 8'Sub off.svg 87'
AM9 Ahmed Sariweh Sub off.svg 81'
CF10 Ahmad Hayel
CF8 Odai Al-Saify Yellow card.svg 87'
Substitutions:
MF23 Yousef Al-Rawashdeh Sub on.svg 60'
FW7 Mahmoud Za'tara Yellow card.svg 90+2'Sub on.svg 81'
MF14 Abdallah Deeb Sub on.svg 87'
Manager:
Flag of England.svg Ray Wilkins
JOR-IRQ-2015-01-12.svg
GK12 Jalal Hasan
RB23 Waleed Salem
CB2 Ahmad Ibrahim
CB14 Salam Shaker
LB15 Dhurgham Ismail
CM5 Yaser Kasim Yellow card.svg 51'
CM21 Saad Abdul-Amir
RW7 Amjad Kalaf Yellow card.svg 83'
AM17 Alaa Abdul-Zahra Yellow card.svg 19' Sub off.svg 90'
LW11 Humam Tariq Sub off.svg 57'
CF10 Younis Mahmoud (c)Sub off.svg 73'
Substitutions:
FW8 Justin Meram Sub on.svg 57'
MF9 Ahmed Yasin Sub on.svg 73'
MF13 Osama Rashid Sub on.svg 90'
Manager:
Radhi Shenaishil

Man of the Match:

Assistant referees:

Fourth official:

Fifth official:

Palestine vs Jordan

Hamza Al-Dardour became only the fourth player in the history of the AFC Asian Cup to score four goals in a single game as two-time quarter-finalists Jordan kept their knockout stage hopes alive with a resounding 5–1 win over Palestine. Yousef Al-Rawashdeh's eye-catching strike 12 minutes before half-time at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium settled any nerves for Jordan, who had previously not won a match since their final AFC Asian Cup qualifier in March 2013 having suffered a 1–0 defeat by Iraq in their tournament opener. [11]

And with recalled striker Al Dardour netting twice inside the final ten minutes of the first half before scoring twice inside the final 15 minutes, Jordan would remain in Melbourne to face defending champions Japan on 20 January still in contention to maintain their 100% record of qualifying for the quarter-finals. Debutants Palestine, though, would travel to Canberra to face Iraq facing an uphill battle to still progress having earlier lost 4–0 to Japan despite Jaka Ihbeisheh netting their historic first AFC Asian Cup goal with five minutes remaining. [12]

With both sides looking to bounce back from opening defeats, 2014 AFC Challenge Cup winners Palestine almost opened the scoring after just five minutes as only an alert one-handed save from Jordan goalkeeper Amer Shafi turned Hesham Salhe's vicious dipping strike from 25 yards onto the crossbar. Jordan did settle into the contest as the half progressed, although Palestine goalkeeper Ramzi Saleh remained largely untested as Abdallah Deeb flashed an effort just wide of the post midway through the opening 45 minutes. But Saleh could do little 12 minutes before half-time as Jordan quickly worked the ball across and into the left hand corner of the penalty area for Ahmad, and with the midfielder given time to steady himself and pick his spot, he expertly curled the ball into the top corner past the despairing dive of the Palestine goalkeeper. [13]

Less than two minutes later Saleh was again beaten as the custodian was drawn out of position by Deeb as the striker charged into the area before the Jordan forward played the ball across the six yard area for Al Dardour to slide in bravely at the back post. And with the last kick of the first half Jordan added a third in stoppage time as Al Dardour, who did not feature during the opening defeat by Iraq, stabbed home from close range as Saleh was unable to cut out Odai Al-Saify's drilled first-time cross. Palestine looked to recover from a disastrous end to the first half and came out strongly after half-time, with only a superb one-handed block from Shafi denying Abdelhamid Abuhabib, although at the other end, Saleh had to be on his toes to push Oday Zahran's lofted effort over the crossbar. Ahmed Al Hassan's side continued to press in the closing stages, but with 15 minutes remaining, Al Dardour completed his hat-trick with a superb solo goal as the striker coolly beat Saleh having picked the ball up just inside Palestine's half. And five minutes later, Al Dardour joined Iranian duo Behtash Fariba and Ali Daei and Bahrain's Ismail Abdul-Latif on the list of players to score four goals at the AFC Asian Cup as the striker stabbed home Zahran's cross from just outside the six yard area. There was, though, still time for Palestine to net their first AFC Asian Cup goal as Ihbeisheh netted from close range with five minutes remaining. [14] [15]

Palestine  Flag of Palestine.svg1–5Flag of Jordan.svg  Jordan
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Palestine
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Jordan
GK21 Ramzi Saleh (c)Yellow card.svg 80'
RB18 Mus'ab Al-Batat
CB15 Abdelatif Bahdari
CB12 Tamer Salah
LB14 Abdullah Jaber
RM3 Hussam Abu Saleh Sub off.svg 55'
CM8 Hesham Salhe Sub off.svg 80'
CM23 Murad Ismail Said
LM13 Jaka Ihbeisheh
SS19 Abdelhamid Abuhabib
CF7 Ashraf Nu'man Sub off.svg 73'
Substitutions:
FW10 Ismail Al-Amour Sub on.svg 55'
FW16 Mahmoud Eid Sub on.svg 73'
MF20 Khader Yousef Sub on.svg 80'
Manager:
Ahmed Al Hassan
PLE-JOR-2015-01-16.svg
GK1 Amer Shafi (c)
RB11 Oday Zahran
CB3 Tareq Khattab
CB5 Mohammad Mustafa
LB21 Mohammad Al-Dmeiri
DM18 Ahmed Elias
RM8 Odai Al-Saify
LM23 Yousef Al-Rawashdeh Sub off.svg 69'
AM6 Saeed Murjan Sub off.svg 52'
CF20 Hamza Al-Dardour Sub off.svg 81'
CF14 Abdallah Deeb
Substitutions:
MF13 Khalil Bani Attiah Sub on.svg 52'
MF9 Ahmed Sariweh Sub on.svg 69'
MF15 Mohammad Al-Dawud Sub on.svg 81'
Manager:
Flag of England.svg Ray Wilkins

Man of the Match:

Assistant referees:

Fourth official:

Fifth official:

Iraq vs Japan

Man of the match Keisuke Honda's penalty helped Japan to their second straight victory as the defending champions eked out a 1–0 win over Iraq. Honda netted from the spot midway through the opening half as Javier Aguirre's side stayed on top of the group with the maximum six points, three points more than Iraq and Jordan, who defeated Palestine 5–1 earlier in the day. Japan's qualification for the quarter-finals rests on their last first-round game on 20 January in Melbourne against the Jordan. [17] [18]

Honda was involved in all of Japan's best moments in the first half, starting with a through ball for Shinji Kagawa that the Borussia Dortmund man fired wide in the 11th minute. Iraq returned the favour four minutes later from a corner, Ahmad Ibrahim Khalaf calling Eiji Kawashima into action with a soaring header the Standard Liège custodian managed to keep out. Honda headed off the bottom of the right-hand post in the 17th minute before Yasuhito Endō, making his 150th appearance for Japan, started a sequence through the box that Kagawa should have finished on 21 minutes from close range. A minute later, though, Aguirre's men managed to put themselves on the scoreboard as Honda was taken down in the area by Ali Adnan. Honda stepped up to the spot himself, converting for his second goal of the tournament to push the holders in front. [19] [20]

Shinji Okazaki, said to be on the shopping list of several Premier League clubs this winter, should have doubled Japan's lead after 33 minutes but missed a free header that kept the Iraqis within one goal going into half-time. Two minutes after the break, Honda picked up where he left off in the first half, smashing against the crossbar with his weaker right foot from 20 yards out, and he had the best chance of the game four minutes past the hour that should have all but ended the contest. [21]

Substitute Hiroshi Kiyotake, who gave Japan a lift after coming on, set up Honda with a slick pass across the face of the goal but the A.C. Milan man, despite being completely free at the far post, somehow uncharacteristically missed, hitting the upright. Japan continued to flirt with the idea of scoring a second but came up short before the final whistle ended what turned out to be a relatively tame meeting between the winners of the last two Asian Cups. [22]

Iraq  Flag of Iraq.svg0–1Flag of Japan.svg  Japan
Report
Brisbane Stadium, Brisbane
Attendance: 22,941
Referee: Alireza Faghani (Iran)
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Iraq
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Japan
GK12 Jalal Hasan
RB23 Waleed Salem
CB2 Ahmad Ibrahim
CB14 Salam Shaker Yellow card.svg 61'
LB15 Dhurgham Ismail
CM21 Saad Abdul-Amir
CM5 Yaser Kasim
RW7 Amjad Kalaf Sub off.svg 82'
AM17 Alaa Abdul-Zahra Yellow card.svg 51'
LW6 Ali Adnan Sub off.svg 67'
CF10 Younis Mahmoud (c)Sub off.svg 54'
Substitutions:
FW8 Justin Meram Sub on.svg 54'
MF9 Ahmed Yasin Sub on.svg 67'
MF13 Osama Rashid Sub on.svg 82'
Manager:
Radhi Shenaishil
IRQ-JPN-2015-01-16.svg
GK1 Eiji Kawashima
RB21 Gōtoku Sakai
CB22 Maya Yoshida
CB6 Masato Morishige
LB5 Yuto Nagatomo
RM10 Shinji Kagawa
CM17 Makoto Hasebe (c)
LM7 Yasuhito Endō Sub off.svg 63'
RW4 Keisuke Honda Sub off.svg 89'
LW18 Takashi Inui Sub off.svg 63'
CF9 Shinji Okazaki
Substitutions:
MF8 Hiroshi Kiyotake Yellow card.svg 73'Sub on.svg 63'
MF15 Yasuyuki Konno Yellow card.svg 90+2'Sub on.svg 63'
MF14 Yoshinori Muto Sub on.svg 89'
Manager:
Flag of Mexico.svg Javier Aguirre

Man of the Match:

Assistant referees:

  • Reza Sokhandan (Iran)
  • Mohammad Reza Abolfazli (Iran)

Fourth official:

Fifth official:

Japan vs Jordan

Keisuke Honda scored for the third consecutive game as defending champions Japan finally confirmed their place in the quarter-finals of the tournament as 2–0 win over a brave Jordan completed a 100% record in Group D. The four-time winners only needed a point in front of a 25,000 crowd at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium having earlier beaten Palestine and Iraq, but Honda's 24th-minute strike and a late second from Shinji Kagawa saw Javier Aguirre's side claim the win; meanwhile this meant for the first time ever in Jordan's Asian Cup participation, they'd failed to qualify into the knockout stage; and also for the first time in Asian Cup history, Jordan lost to Japan, having drawn Japan twice in 2004 and 2011. Having ended Jordan's hopes of an appearance in the last eight as Iraq claimed second place in Group D after beating Palestine in Canberra, Japan would face Group C runners-up the United Arab Emirates in Sydney on 23 January for a place in the semi-finals. Japan coach Aguirre named the same side for a third consecutive game with the defending champions only needing a point to qualify for the quarter-finals as Group D winners, while opposite number Ray Wilkins made one change with Anas Bani Yaseen returning from suspension to replace Saeed Murjan and with Jordan needing to at least avoid defeat to keep their quarter-final hopes alive, Ray Wilkins' side showed their intentions, lining up in an attacking 4-3-3 formation and pressing Japan from the first whistle. [24]

Jordan's plans, though, were almost dealt a huge blow after just 10 minutes as Takashi Inui smashed home Kagawa's pull-back only for the assistant referee's flag on the near side to rule the ball had crossed the line prior to the delivery from the Borussia Dortmund midfielder. But Japan eventually took the lead midway through the first half as Jordan goalkeeper Amer Shafi could only parry Shinji Okazaki's angled strike from Inui's clever pass across goal and Honda was on hand to net from a tight angle. Shafi, though, denied the defending champions a second five minutes later as the Jordan goalkeeper showed superb reflexes to push Masato Morishige's point-blank header from Honda's vicious corner over the crossbar as Japan continued to control the game and restrict their opponents to rare forays forward. Needing to at least avoid defeat, striker Ahmad Hayel and midfielder Munther Abu Amarah were introduced at half-time for Jordan, and the move paid off as Wilkins' side started the second 45 minutes with added vigor after Japan had enjoyed nearly 75 percent possession in the first half. [25]

Japan, though, still remained the more likely to add to their lead and Shafi had to be on his toes to push away Honda's strike from just outside the area with 19 minutes remaining, with Jordan beginning to tire as the half progressed having valiantly tried to keep up with their opponents' superior passing and movement. The Japanese made sure of the three points with eight minutes remaining when a cross from substitute Yoshinori Muto found the onrushing Kagawa close to the penalty spot and Shafi was only able to help the first-time strike into the back of the net. Japan came close to adding a third in the first minute of stoppage time, but Honda was unfortunate to see his low drilled strike from inside the area crash into the post with Shafi rooted to the spot. [26] [27]

Japan  Flag of Japan.svg2–0Flag of Jordan.svg  Jordan
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Japan
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Jordan
GK1 Eiji Kawashima
RB21 Gōtoku Sakai
CB22 Maya Yoshida
CB6 Masato Morishige
LB5 Yuto Nagatomo
DM17 Makoto Hasebe (c)
RM4 Keisuke Honda
CM7 Yasuhito Endō Sub off.svg 86'
CM10 Shinji Kagawa
LM18 Takashi Inui Yellow card.svg 48' Sub off.svg 49'
CF9 Shinji Okazaki Yellow card.svg 46' Sub off.svg 78'
Substitutions:
MF8 Hiroshi Kiyotake Sub on.svg 49'
MF14 Yoshinori Muto Sub on.svg 78'
MF20 Gaku Shibasaki Sub on.svg 86'
Manager:
Flag of Mexico.svg Javier Aguirre
JPN-JOR-2015-01-20.svg
GK1 Amer Shafi (c)
RB11 Oday Zahran
CB3 Tareq Khattab
CB19 Anas Bani Yaseen
LB21 Mohammad Al-Dmeiri
DM5 Mohammad Mustafa Yellow card.svg 11'
RM23 Yousef Al-Rawashdeh Yellow card.svg 38'Sub off.svg 46'
LM18 Ahmed Elias
AM8 Odai Al-Saify
CF20 Hamza Al-Dardour Sub off.svg 73'
CF14 Abdallah Deeb Sub off.svg 46'
Substitutions:
FW10 Ahmad Hayel Sub on.svg 46'
MF16 Munther Abu Amarah Sub on.svg 46'
MF13 Khalil Bani Attiah Sub on.svg 73'
Manager:
Flag of England.svg Ray Wilkins

Man of the Match:

Assistant referees:

Fourth official:

Fifth official:

Iraq vs Palestine

Goals from Younis Mahmoud and Ahmed Yasin led Iraq into the quarter-finals and a meeting with arch-rivals Iran, after a 2–0 victory against Palestine at Canberra Stadium. Mahmoud's first goal in the tournament Down Under came on 48 minutes and was his seventh in AFC Asian Cup competitions, meaning he has now scored in four consecutive continental championships since he first appeared at the 2004 edition. Mahmoud's could have had a second just before the hour mark, too, but Palestine's back-up goalkeeper Tawfiq Ali, who put on an impressive show throughout in the absence of the injured Ramzi Saleh, saved the forward's spot-kick. [29]

But two minutes before the end midfielder Yasin, making his first start of the tournament, sealed the points and the victory for Iraq. The win means Iraq finish second in Group D, behind defending champions Japan who topped Jordan 2–0 in the day's other game, and Radhi Shenaishil and his team would remain in Canberra for their last-eight showdown with Group C winners Iran on 23 January. Handed his first start of the tournament, Justin Meram went close to justifying his coach's decision after just three minutes as he jinked inside following a long throw on the left and into the area but he was closed down quickly and his shot stuttered into the hands of goalkeeper Ali. Palestine themselves could have taken a shock lead on 20 minutes as Jalal Hasan made a hash of Ashraf Nu'man's corner but the ball was cleared just before Abdelatif Bahdari could pounce on the loose ball. [30]

While Iraq dominated the first period, they found Ali showing no signs of nerves in his first start and in confident form. The 24-year-old goalkeeper saved a swerving long-range effort from Waleed Salem 20 minutes into the contest before diving low to his right to block Mahmoud's header five minutes before the interval. And Iraq's profligacy continued in just the second minute of the restart as Mahmoud blazed wide when the influential Yasin's pull-back found him inside the penalty area. But the striker's woes in front of goal would last only another minute. From half-time substitute Ali Adnan's corner, Mahmoud's rose highest to direct a firm header past Ali. Almost immediately after that setback, Palestine then had their best chance of the night as a poor pass from Salam Shaker fell into the pass of the alert Nu’man but Hasan pulled off an impressive save with his feet to block the goal-bound effort. [31]

The game began to open up as both teams looked for goals before Ahmed Harbi brought down Meram inside the area for a penalty to Iraq just before the hour-mark. Mahmoud stepped up, looking for his second of the night, but Ali continued his impressive performance by diving the right way, low to his left, and parried the ball away. Iraq continued to hammer away at the Palestine defence and eventually a second goal came their way in the game's dying minutes as Yasin scored the goal his fine performance warranted with a powerful low strike from the edge of the area that zipped into the back of the net and Adnan could have made it three late on with an effort that hit the upright, but the points were safe as the final whistle blew shortly after to the delight of the large contingent of Iraqi fans. [32] [33]

Iraq  Flag of Iraq.svg2–0Flag of Palestine.svg  Palestine
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Iraq
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Palestine
GK12 Jalal Hasan
RB23 Waleed Salem
CB2 Ahmad Ibrahim
CB14 Salam Shaker
LB15 Dhurgham Ismail
CM21 Saad Abdul-Amir
CM5 Yaser Kasim
RW7 Amjad Kalaf Sub off.svg 46'
AM8 Justin Meram Sub off.svg 71'
LW9 Ahmed Yasin
CF10 Younis Mahmoud (c)Sub off.svg 79'
Substitutions:
DF6 Ali Adnan Sub on.svg 46'
MF13 Osama Rashid Sub on.svg 71'
FW16 Marwan Hussein Sub on.svg 79'
Manager:
Radhi Shenaishil
IRQ-PLE-2015-01-20.svg
GK1 Tawfiq Ali
RB4 Ahmed Harbi Yellow card.svg 59'
CB9 Khaled Salem
CB15 Abdelatif Bahdari (c)
LB14 Abdullah Jaber
RM10 Ismail Al-Amour Sub off.svg 67'
CM20 Khader Yousef
CM8 Hesham Salhe Yellow card.svg 21'
LM11 Ahmed Maher
SS7 Ashraf Nu'man
CF16 Mahmoud Eid Sub off.svg 79'
Substitutions:
MF13 Jaka Ihbeisheh Sub on.svg 67'
MF19 Abdelhamid Abuhabib Sub on.svg 79'
Manager:
Ahmed Al Hassan

Man of the Match:

Assistant referees:

Fourth official:

Fifth official:

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Iraq national football team</span> Mens national association football team representing Iraq

The Iraq national football team represents Iraq in international football and is controlled by the Iraq Football Association (IFA), the governing body for football in Iraq. Iraq's usual home venue is the Basra International Stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jordan national football team</span> Men’s national association football team representing Jordan

The Jordan national football team represents Jordan in international football and is controlled by the Jordan Football Association. Jordan have never qualified for the World Cup finals but have appeared four times in the Asian Cup and reached its quarter-final stage in the 2004 and 2011 editions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palestine national football team</span> National association football team of Palestine

The Palestine national football team, controlled by the Palestinian Football Association, represents Palestine in association football. The squad is governed by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) continentally, and FIFA worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Younis Mahmoud</span> Iraqi footballer

Younis Mahmoud Khalaf is an Iraqi former professional footballer who played as a forward for the Iraq national football team and is currently the second vice-president of the Iraq Football Association. One of the country's greatest ever players, Mahmoud captained the team for ten straight years and became an icon of Asian football. He also played for a number of clubs including teams in Iraq, UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, winning three Golden Boots in Qatar and breaking numerous records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australia men's national under-23 soccer team</span> National under-23 soccer team representing Australia

The Australia national under-23 soccer team represents Australia in international under-23 soccer and at the Olympic Games. The team is controlled by the governing body for soccer in Australia, Football Australia (FA), which is currently a member of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the regional ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) since leaving the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) in 2006. The team's official nickname is the Olyroos.

Amer Shafi Mahmoud Sabbah is a Jordanian former footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shinji Kagawa</span> Japanese footballer (born 1989)

Shinji Kagawa is a Japanese professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for J1 League club Cerezo Osaka. He is widely regarded as one of the best Japanese players of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 AFC Asian Cup</span> International football competition

The 2015 AFC Asian Cup was the 16th edition of the men's AFC Asian Cup, a quadrennial international football tournament organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). It was held in Australia from 9 to 31 January 2015. The tournament was won by Australia after defeating South Korea 2–1 in extra time in the final, thereby earning the right to participate in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup, which was hosted by Russia. The win was Australia's first Asian title since their move from the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) in 2006. It was also the first time a men's team has become champions of two confederations, following Australia's four OFC Nations Cup titles: 1980, 1996, 2000 and 2004; right after the Australian women's team won the 2010 AFC Women's Asian Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 AFC Asian Cup final</span> Football match

The 2011 AFC Asian Cup Final was a football match that took place on 29 January 2011 at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha, Qatar, to determine the winner of the 2011 AFC Asian Cup. The match was won by Japan, defeating Australia 1–0 after extra time through a goal scored by Tadanari Lee. Japan thus qualified for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup as the representative from AFC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2004 AFC Asian Cup final</span> Football match

The 2004 AFC Asian Cup Final was a football match that took place on 7 August 2004 at the Workers' Stadium in Beijing, the People's Republic of China, to determine the winners of the 2004 AFC Asian Cup.

Hamza Ali Khaled Al-Dardour is a Jordanian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Jordanian club Al-Hussein and the Jordan national team.

Association football is among the most popular sports in Asia, with 13 members of the Asian Football Confederation having competed at the sport's biggest international event, the men's FIFA World Cup. The highest ranked result in the World Cup for an Asian team is 4th place in the 2002 FIFA World Cup by South Korea.

The knockout stage of the 2015 AFC Asian Cup was the second and final stage of the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, following the group stage. It was played on 22 to 31 January, began with the quarter-finals and ended with the final match of the tournament, held at Stadium Australia, Sydney. The top two teams from each group advanced to the knockout stage to compete in a single-elimination tournament. A third-place match was played between the two losing teams of the semi-finals. Australia won the trophy after defeating South Korea in the final.

Group B of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup took place from 6 to 15 January 2019. The group consisted of defending champions Australia, Syria, Palestine, and Jordan. The top two teams, Jordan and Australia, advanced to the round of 16.

Group D of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup took place from 7 to 16 January 2019. The group consisted of Iran, Iraq, Vietnam and Yemen. The top two teams, Iran and Iraq, along with third-placed Vietnam, advanced to the round of 16.

Group F of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup took place from 9 to 17 January 2019. The group consisted of Japan, Uzbekistan, Oman and Turkmenistan. The top two teams, Japan and Uzbekistan, along with third-placed Oman, advanced to the round of 16.

The knockout stage of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup was the second and final stage of the competition, following the group stage. It began on 20 January with the round of 16 and ended on 1 February with the final match, held at the Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi. A total of 16 teams advanced to the knockout stage to compete in a single-elimination style tournament.

Since the 1988 tournament, Japan has qualified for eight consecutive AFC Asian Cups from 1992 to 2019. Japan is also the most successful team in the tournament with 4 titles.

Jordan national football team has been historically considered weaker than other Arab teams prior to the beginning of new millennium. Jordan often struggled to win a ticket and qualify for the Asian Cup, mainly, due to historical turbulence inside the state.

Rami Hamadeh also spelled Rami Hamadi is a Palestinian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for the Palestine national football team and Jabal Al-Mukaber in the West Bank Premier League. He is Palestine's all time leader in clean sheets, having recorded 20 over the course of his national team career.

References

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  12. Asian Cup 2015: Palestine 1-5 Jordan
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  15. Asian Cup: Jordan hammers Palestine 5-1 as Hamza al Daradreh scores four goals
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  21. Honda spot on as Japan edge Iraq
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  26. Japan-Jordan Preview: Yoshida wants improved officiating
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  32. Iraq and Palestine leave troubles at home and flourish at Asian Cup
  33. Asian Cup: Iraq ensure quarter-final berth with 2-0 win over Palestine in Canberra
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